This Eerie And Fantastic Footage Takes You Inside Ohio's Former Mining Community
Beth
Author
There are many abandoned places in Ohio, but none quite like Shawnee. Ohio’s very own ghost town, Shawnee is one that has endured a complicated history. Shawnee is most famous for its association with an abandoned mine, one that fell victim to an infamous fire. While not completely abandoned today, the town does offer a sense of a living ghost town: abandoned buildings, boarded-up homes, and the feeling of being frozen in time. And yet, there’s also a tight-knight community still present in Shawnee. Here’s a glimpse inside Shawnee, Ohio:
Related Stories
A Drone Flew High Above This Abandoned Factory In Ohio And Caught This Truly Eerie Footage
What's Left Of This Abandoned Amusement Park In Ohio Is Downright Creepy
Forgotten Ohio: 9 Abandoned Places Nature is Reclaiming
In the video below, YouTube user theVHSvlog offers a fascinating overview of Shawnee’s history while also providing in-depth footage of the town:
What are your thoughts on the fascinating and eerie history of this former Ohio mining community? Be sure to share with us in the comments below — we’d love to hear from you!
Looking for more abandoned places to explore in Ohio? This road trip to the creepiest abandoned places in Ohio might have you running for the hills… in a good way!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
More to Explore
Abandoned places in Ohio
What are some other abandoned places in Ohio?
If you're curious about abandoned places in Ohio, we put together a road trip that visits some of the state's most compelling and spine-tingling sites.
- Chippewa Lake Amusement Park. Tucked away in Medina County there’s a rusted, long forgotten ferris wheel. What what was once Chippewa Lake Park is now just a few piles of amusement park ruins and the lone ferris wheel. From 1878 to 1978, the amusement park was a popular, thriving destination for family entrainment. Today, the nearby Medina County Historical Society houses the former amusement park’s welcome sign, and although the Big Dipper is no longer standing, various remnants of the park’s rides still remain.
- Moonville. Another Ohio ghost town, Moonville is a double dose of creepy fun. The abandoned coal mining town of Moonville in southeastern Ohio (Vinton County) was founded in 1856, when the Marietta and Cincinnati railroad ran through the area's woods. One structure of the town that remains today is the Moonville Tunnel; a haunted tunnel where legend has it the ghost of a man who was killed instantly by a train passing through the tunnel wanders along the track bed near the old tunnel at night.
- Mansfield Reformatory. Easily the most iconic abandoned place in Ohio, the Mansfield Reformatory opened in 1886 and is nearly 130 years old. The reformatory is considered one of the eeriest abandoned places in Ohio — and America. It's known to house some of the country's most violent ghosts; spirits of rioting inmates who fought each other to the death in overcrowded cells. This prison closed in 1990, after nearly 100 years, during which time 154,000 inmates called it home. Life for inmates was anything but peaceful at this reformatory, where conditions were, at best, basic. A cell while the reformatory was operating would have contained a desk, a stool, two footlockers, and two bunk beds. As a result, tensions were high and violence was common. The average yearly population in 1934 was 3,500 men. This severe overcrowding led to declining conditions -- and ultimately, numerous deaths. Violent, tortured deaths. Shiver.